First-year starter Kyle McClellan became the National League's first six-game winner and backup catcher Gerald Laird made his 10th start of the season count with a two-run double as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Thursday for a two-game sweep.

As Tigers manager Jim Leyland puts it, you either play good enough or you don't. So far, his team has played well enough to lead the AL Central Division by four games not well enough to put away the Minnesota Twins, who host Detroit in a three-game series beginning Friday.

Ichiro Suzuki's quest to make history is being stalled longer than expected. Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said before Tuesday night's game against Oakland that his nine-time All-Star will not return Wednesday from a sore calf as the team had hoped.